


Love and History

by gleefanatic



Category: British Royalty RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-03 07:45:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4092793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gleefanatic/pseuds/gleefanatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness." -- Alex Haley, Roots</p>
<p>Despite being close to her family, 22 year old Christina had never really figured out who she was or who she wanted to be. Her future seemed like a mystery, her business management degree hanging on the wall but not being used.</p>
<p>When she decides she needs a fresh start she picks up everything and moves to London, hoping that switching gears and pursuing her love of history will help her gain clarity.</p>
<p>Working as a genealogist, Christina not only finds out who she really is, but a man that can change everything she's ever known.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

A warm spring rain was pounding against the windows as Christina sat curled up on her couch. A mass of historical books were spread all around her, notes scattered on papers that marked pages. There were still dozens of boxes sitting against the walls, but at the moment she didn’t feel like dealing with them. Of course, she knew that she needed to settle into her new place, to get rid of all the boxes and make sure that everything was in its proper place. However, that was not why she had picked up and moved to London and it was the treasure trove of information she hoped to gain that had been calling for her attention.

Christina Allen had landed in London late the night before and all she’d managed to do after arriving at her new apartment was put sheets on the bed before curling up and falling asleep. Since waking up this morning, she’d done nothing but read and research, urged by the dreary weather to stay inside. Her stomach was crying out for attention the later it got since she had no food in her apartment and hadn’t eaten since early the day before prior to boarding her flight.

Though staying inside seemed appealing, she knew that she had a few errands to run, so by noon she was putting the books aside for the moment and moving to her suitcase to try and find something to wear since she hadn’t opened any of her boxes of clothes. The weather here wasn’t that much different than it was in the northeast US, but it was slightly cooler and damp, so she struggled to find a sweater that would ward off the chill. Beyond that, she found herself throwing on a pair of jean capris, a soft grey t-shirt, and tennis shoes, wishing she had thought to leave rain boots out.

A bathroom trip that took all of five minutes to put her contacts in, brush her hair and teeth before applying deodorant and Christina was essentially ready to go. She had always been pretty low maintenance, something that had come in handy more than once in college when she was able to roll out of bed 15 minutes before class and still make it on time. She stepped into the hallway of her apartment after grabbing her keys and wallet and soon after that she was out in the London streets again.

The first thing she needed to do was head to the library. If she was going to have any success as a genealogist, she needed to be able to access records and the library archives were usually the first stop. Eventually, she would have connections elsewhere to be able to find out even more but the library was a good stop for the present time. Not knowing the first thing about London and not yet ready to even attempt driving on the other side of the road Christina hailed a cab to get her where she needed to be. It certainly wasn’t the most convenient of options, but it was what she was going with today.

It wasn’t hard for Christina to lose track of time when exploring a library. It had only taken a moment for her to get a new library card and to talk with the librarian about the resources available. Then she just wandered around knowing that she would likely end up spending a lot of time here. As she finally ended up in the history section, she turned a corner and immediately bumped into someone.

“I’m so sorry,” She murmured, immediately offering an apology. Granted, her 5’2” frame was probably more impacted by the collision than the man in front of her had been. When he glanced up he just nodded at her before looking back at his phone and moving out of sight. Christina was taken aback but quickly recovered, after all it wasn’t like she wasn’t used to people acting like that around her. Honestly, her mind was far more affected than her body was and she had to take a moment to shake off the negative thoughts that kept welling up inside of her.

The past few minutes had broken the slight high she was in from being in a new place with so much to learn and so Christina decided that she should go get some food and head back to her apartment to eat something and try and unpack. Even with those intentions she knew that food and a nap were more likely since she had never flown before and certainly hadn’t dealt with major time changes like this.

It was only her first real day in London, and Christina wasn’t sure if she had made the right decision yet. It didn’t seem like the wrong one, but only time would tell.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little longer. Hopefully, soon they'll actually meet and I'll get to dive into the complicated mess that is Christina's past.

A week quickly passed as Christina worked to get herself settled into a new apartment and a new city. She’d found though that having a car really wasn’t worth it and so there was no point in her spending the time or money to get a British driver’s license. Most days she walked where she needed to go or took one of the many local buses if her destination was farther than a few miles. Of course, this also meant that she had had to change her shopping habits because she couldn’t transport the amount of food that she would get like when she had been shopping in the States.

Besides moving in and getting settled, the rest of Christina’s time was spent at the library like she had figured. Though she didn’t yet have any clients, she knew that getting as broad of a base of knowledge as she could, would only come in handy when someone finally hired her. Mainly she had put herself out there to US families who wanted to explore their connections to Great Britain but didn’t have the funds to spend the weeks in the city that it would take to find out as much as they could. She was sure that it wouldn’t be too long before she was connected with a client that found her skill set suitable even if she wasn’t an expert in the field yet. She’d always been resourceful and able to find information that a lot of others couldn’t.

* * *

 

It took about a month before Christina finally got the client she had been waiting for and after a few days spent pouring over the books she stumbled upon something that she found absolutely outstanding. Her client’s great grandfather times four had been a part of the royal government and there were papers written by him in the Royal Library collection. Immediately she put a request in to be able to access the papers and after that it was a matter of waiting and exploring other avenues until she received a response.

Nothing else seemed nearly as interesting though she passed on all her findings to her client. What would really satisfy her, make her like she had earned her paycheck, was getting access to those records and finding out just what kind of impact the man had had when it came to British History. Granted, she knew that it could all be boring and mundane, but she still held out hope.

The day she was finally granted approval to look at the documents, Christina pulled herself out of bed to be there when the archives opened. After checking in at the desk, she was led to a room and handed a pair of gloves to put on while she did her examination. It was standard procedure and really she hadn’t been this excited about anything since she had been given a tour of the West Virginia University rare books collection. There was really nothing better than holding history in your hands and finding out things that maybe no one else really knew.

Lost in her work, she completely missed lunch time as well as dinner, working through the script that was written on each and every page. She didn’t want to miss a single detail if it would provide her any information that she could pass on and that would give her client the insights into their family history that they were looking for. She knew that doing an outstanding job with this client would help word spread and hopefully more would follow and keep her working and receiving paychecks.

* * *

Harry wasn’t one to go to libraries all that often. However, he’d been asked to go to the royal archives in order to pick up a few documents that were being borrowed for a project he wasn’t aware of all the details on. After all, he’d be spending the summer in Africa, so now was not the time to worry about all of the little details. He’d do what he was sent to and then he’d continue on with his business because he was far busier than he would like lately.

However, as he was waiting for the documents to be pulled, he wandered around the archive and spotted a young girl sitting like there was nothing else in the world besides the documents carefully arranged on the table in front of her. Each of her movements was calculated and he couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing and why it seemed to have her completely entranced. Still, before he could convince himself to disturb her, what he needed was waiting for him and he moved to sign it out before heading with his protection officers out of the building and into the car.

* * *

  
When she finally seemed to gain all she could from the documents, Christina looked up and rubbed at her face. Then she stretched and her muscles cried out at the movement after being stagnant for so long. Turning her head she caught a glimpse of red hair, hair that seemed familiar for a reason she couldn’t place. In a split second it was gone and she shrugged figuring that it didn’t matter anyway and that she could really use some food as her stomach growled at her. Gathering all her notes and making sure everything was back in order, she left the archive and headed back to her apartment, deciding to report her findings in the morning. It was far later than he had expected and she could really use a good night’s sleep.

 

 


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it’s been awhile since I updated but tonight I finally got a muse and was able to crank out another chapter. It’s a little scattered with both Christina’s as well as Harry’s point of views, but it shouldn’t be hard to figure out whose is whose.

Close encounters at the library and the royal archives were only the beginning for Harry and Christina. Throughout the rest of the spring it happened again at a bookstore, and then once more when Christina had a few days between clients and had decided to take in some of the major sites of London, including a tour of Kensington Palace. 

Something about history had always held her interest more than anything else. People in her family joked that she was born in the wrong time period because her musical interests, as well as her overall behavior, signaled someone that was far beyond her years. Christina loved learning about other people’s lives. Those lives didn’t have to be those of famous figures either; some of her most treasured discoveries were about ordinary people who made their mark on their time and somehow got lost to the major textbooks. 

In some ways, becoming a genealogist was Christina’s way of distracting herself from her own life by vicariously living someone else’s. Television and books had the same driving force but making a career out of either of those required talents that she just didn’t seem to have. 

~

After awhile, it was Harry that seemed to pick up on the fact that everywhere he turned the young brunette seemed to be there as well. Normally that would have both he and his protection officers worried, however with Christina, her focus was always so lost in something other than Harry that everyone was sure that she had no idea he was even there. To Harry, Christina was someone that intrigued him.

For the most part, Christina’s lack of awareness was something that was entirely true. Of course she tended to catch glimpses of fiery red hair, but she never put much thought into it, sure that she was just losing her mind or telling herself that there was more than one redhead in London and that it was a different person every time. 

~

It was the end of April when another encounter finally led Harry to introduce himself. 

~

Some days, Christina just had a bad day and today seemed to be turning out as one. These were the days where she wondered if her dreams for the future would ever come true if she would ever get the chance to truly be happy instead of just doing her best to stay afloat. There was never any real trigger for these moods, sometimes she just woke up in them like she had today. Walking down the London streets, Christina tried to put a smile on her face and just ignore all of the doubts and negative thoughts that filled her mind. 

After passing bookstores and clothing shops, Christina was finally pushed into one when a spring storm brought a downpour of rain. Seeing the merchandise that lined the walls and tables made her swallow hard and she moved to a corner just wishing that she could disappear. Why of all the stores on the street did she have to enter the one in which she would likely never have a reason to shop in. Certainly not the reason she would want at least. 

Harry found himself in the same shop though his presence was there purposely and not because of the rain. He needed to find a gift for his impending niece or nephew before he left the country for a week. He was sure that he would likely miss the birth as Kate was due any time now and though he wouldn’t be there he still needed to have something there for his father to take to the hospital for him. 

Though he’d done this before it was still not something that he felt he was good at and he had no idea what to get for the baby. When the bell rang on the door signaling someone else’s presence he looked up and then did a double take upon seeing the face that he now knew was becoming familiar. His instincts told him not to approach her because he didn’t know her and she seemed upset. 

When had he listened to his instincts though? Crossing the few feet between them, Harry stopped and spoke calmly, a hint of embarrassment in his tone.

“Excuse me, I’m trying to find a gift and I’m really not sure what I should get, would you mind giving me a female’s perspective?” 

Hearing the question, Christina’s gaze rose to meet his face and though she registered who was speaking to her, her reaction was not that of help but instead of tears. Her feet moved without her consciously telling them to and they forced her to bolt out of the store and back into the rain as her crying became harder. 

Her reaction took Harry completely off guard and he looked to his protection officers before making the decision to go after her. Despite his best efforts to catch up to her sooner, it was two blocks when she had finally stopped to collapse onto a bench that he finally reached her. 

“I’m sorry for back there. Are you okay?” He asked, a concerned look etched into his features when he took in her appearance. She didn’t at all seem like the young woman that he knew poured over books for hours on end. 

Though she knew that it was proper and polite to respond, Christina was finding it hard to breathe and calm herself down from the emotions and thoughts raging inside her head. This wasn’t something she enjoyed and she hated that she couldn’t control it. She was such a rational person that not being in control of herself was something that drove her crazy. She was sure that at least a few minutes had passed before she was able to finally calm her crying for the moment and she was honestly surprised to find that the man, one of the royal princes, was still standing in front of her. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong, I assure you…” She trailed off not sure if she should address him as ‘your royal highness’ or not considering the circumstances. “I really should go though. My clothes are soaked and I should go home and change before I end up getting sick.” 

Though Harry didn’t necessarily want her to leave he knew that she had a point and he couldn’t think of any reason to make her consider staying, not when she had been crying and was clearly in an emotional state. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her again. 

As Christina finally crawled into, regretting her decision to even get up today she wondered why Harry had even bothered to follow her and cursed herself for once again making someone think that she was a complete and utter failure of a person. 

On the other side of town, Harry decided that he wanted to learn more about the brunette no matter how much effort it took.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Christina meet again, and this time there's actually some conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my inconsistent muse finally came back and this one is actually fairly long. I'd really appreciate comments because they'll definitely help with inspiration to write sooner than in another month.

After the initial rainy and tear filled encounter, Harry had meant to track the brunette down. He still wasn’t sure what had happened and he felt guilty for making her cry. Though that guilt was still only part of the reason why he wanted to see her again. Despite his plans, however, Harry barely managed to sleep and eat regularly with the new schedule of events and responsibilities that had been handed to him.

Christina, on the other hand, had forgotten all about her horrible day, at least for the most part. She had pushed back every little piece of her that questioned why he had approached her, why he had followed her, and what he thought about her after the way she acted. While it wasn’t the easiest thing to do, she had learned time and time again that it would only lead to her going crazy and that she just needed to focus on the one piece of her life that she could control, her job and her studies.

* * *

By the time Harry was back in London to stay for a while Christina was becoming more and more popular around research circles and had a steady stream of clients to keep her busy. It was what she had always hoped for in her life career wise. It was something she enjoyed, more than anything else she’d ever done, and it was allowing her to live comfortably and put aside savings should at any time, her situation change.

It was one of her clients that insisted that Christina attend a black tie event as their guest for doing such a fantastic job. Though it really wasn’t something she would normally do, Christina reminded herself that mingling with the people at this type of event could lead to bigger jobs and if nothing else may give her insight to stories that were the type she really enjoyed.

So, she headed to a line of shops in hopes of finding a dress that didn’t make her feel plain and insecure like she did every other day. She really wasn’t good at the whole fashion thing though and so it took her hours and lots of prodding from a saleswoman to finally decide on a dress that she felt okay it.

* * *

Knowing that people were going to be looking at her, not for her brains, but her looks scared Christina beyond belief. So the day of the event, she spent the entire morning watching makeup and hair tutorials trying to find just one of each that might actually make her look okay. Still, she wasn’t as pretty as the girls in the videos and her hair certainly wouldn’t do the things that she would like it to.

Across town, Harry was preparing for the same event, though he was honestly mostly just spending as much time as he could relaxing before taking a quick shower and getting dressed. After all, events like these were commonplace for him and he really didn’t have to put much thought into what he was doing.

When the alarm went off half an hour before Christina needed to be out the door she cursed softly and nearly burnt herself with the hair dryer she was using to try and wrangle the locks into something presentable. She should have started earlier, but then again she had already spent the entire day trying to get ready and it was clear that she was just failing miserably. Deciding that the hair and makeup weren’t going to get any better and that she would just have to put up with the stares and whispers about how she didn’t belong Christina headed to slip into the dress and slide on the flats that she had purchased. There was no way she would be able to walk in heels after all and she really didn’t care if people criticized her for that, it would be better than her falling on her face and embarrassing herself that way.

When she climbed out of the cab outside of the venue, Christina almost gasped at the extravagance of the place. It was absolutely beautiful and it made her smile to herself thinking about the people that had put so much time, sweat and blood into making it. Presenting her name at the door she was ushered inside and her light shawl was taken from her and checked into the coat closet for her. Then she was guided to the ballroom and after just a few steps a drink was placed in her hand and horderves were being offered to her.

As she worked to find her table, she was unaware of the fact that the moment she walked into the room, Harry’s eyes had spotted her and were immediately taking in every feature of her body. He’d never seen her look like this and it was almost baffling to him.

* * *

The night went fairly smoothly by all standards. Of course, there were people whispering behind Christina’s back, just like there were women hitting on Harry and trying to hold his attention unsuccessfully. Thankfully though, there were people who Christina found herself falling into conversation with and who didn’t seem to judge her for who she was, or wasn’t.

Eventually though, Christina found herself needing air and she headed over to one of the balconies of the ballroom finding it empty and leaning against the railing as she just closed her eyes and tuned out the music and voices from behind her.

It was this action that caused Harry to finally break away from the crowd surrounding him to follow her, not saying a word as he leaned against the rail next to her. Startled slightly when she sensed another presence and then completely floored when she realized who was there, Christina started to head back inside just wanting to avoid anything regarding the last time they met.

“Hey, wait a second,” Harry whispered reaching out to gently grab at her fingers. “You can talk to me you know,” He added his eyes looking for hers though she kept her gaze on the ground. Still, she didn’t immediately pull away and Harry took that as a positive sign. “You look beautiful tonight.” At the compliment, Christina swallowed hard and glanced up to try and tell if he was lying to her. She rarely had that compliment thrown her way, and certainly not by someone who could have any girl on the planet.

“Thank you,” She replied after a long moment, her heart beating fast with the uncertainty of why he was here talking to her. “You should really get back inside, I’m sure you have plenty of people who would love to vie for your attention.”

“Maybe I’d rather talk to you. After all, you ran off on me crying the last time and now you’re trying to push me away. Do I smell or something?” He wasn’t sure if trying to lighten the mood would help but at this point he certainly didn’t think it would hurt. Christina’s head jolted up in shock and her eyes went wide as she looked at him. Had he completely lost his mind?

Sensing that he wasn’t going to get an answer out of her and hearing the music change inside, Harry reached his hand out to her properly. “Will you at least dance with me?” He murmured. Reluctantly, Christina nodded and let him take her hand again, pulling her a few steps closer to him.

“As long as you don’t hold it against me if I step on your feet. I’m not exactly known for being the most graceful.” All Harry could do was chuckle softly at her as he guided her through the steps, taking in the way her body felt under his hand and the trust she put into him as she didn’t know what she was doing.

When the music came to a stop, it took Christina a moment to notice and when she did she almost jumped backward. It was evident that the party was winding down as people were gathering their things and starting to head for the door. Wiping her sweaty palms on her dress, Christina started to follow only to be stopped by Harry again.

“Give me your phone.” He stated, his voice firm though it wasn’t a command. Unsure of what he wanted, she handed it over and a moment later she heard his ring in his pocket. “There. Now we can keep talking.” He explained as he handed the device back. He had a feeling that she would be more comfortable with the distance of electronics rather than face to face and since he certainly hadn’t figured her out yet he knew that he had to try something.

Sliding her phone back in her purse, Christina nodded and sent Harry as much of a smile as she could force before headed to get her shawl and hail a cab back to her apartment.

As she climbed into bed, her phone vibrated next to her and she unlocked it to find a text that simply read, ‘next time you’re at Kensington let me know. I’ll give you a proper tour.’ As much as Christina wanted to just delete it as well as the number she knew that being able to see parts of the grounds that weren’t on the tour was something that deep down she couldn’t resist. Somehow he’d managed to figure out at least a small part of her.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am absolutely horrible I know. But my muses are fickle when it comes to actually writing anything longer than rp para replies and such. Not sure if anyone is still interested in reading this or not but having Harry on the cover of People had me able to write again tonight. By no means is it the best but it's something.

Though the offer of an in-depth tour of Kensington Palace, given by Prince Harry himself, was on the table, Christina found herself too busy to take him up on it before he left for a summer in Africa. And though they were on separate continents their communication didn’t stop, at least not on his part. It was sometimes weekly, sometimes daily that while researching the crimes that this person’s great great grandfather committed or how the strength of someone’s three times great aunt had carried her family, Christina’s phone buzzed with historical tidbits or photos of some of the most gorgeous buildings or scenery that she had ever seen. 

While she appreciated that he was clearly thinking of her with these text messages, she just couldn’t understand why he was trying so hard. She was a nobody, they’d only had two encounters, neither of which had really gone all that well, and he was a prince who was being connected to some of the most stunning women in the world according to the grocery tabloids.

~

As the summer reached a close, Harry had started to consider giving up. After sending nearly 200 messages of photos and things that he thought the mysterious brunette would appreciate, he’d gotten maybe a dozen responses back with one-word comments like ‘wow’ or ‘gorgeous’. Never had he put this much effort into a woman to get such little response. At the same time, though, he reminded himself that there had to be a reason why she acted the way she did. It wasn’t like she had ever told him to stop messaging her if she had he would have respected her wishes. 

Deciding that he needed to make one last go of getting her to open up to him even a little, Harry resolved to reach out to her again once he was back home.

~

While the summer hadn’t really changed much in Christina’s life, it had given her a little bit more security financially and so she decided to at least attempt sitting down with a therapist knowing that the way she was living wasn’t normal and that one session wasn’t something that she’d have to continue if she didn’t like the way it was going. 

It was after a lot of silence that Christina spilled just a few of the many many things she’d been holding back for so long. Mostly it was about her family and how she knew they loved her but sometimes she just felt like she wasn’t what they expected her to be or that she was enough for them. Leaving the office, Christina wasn’t sure if she was going to come back, though she knew the psychologist recommended it. As she walked home, she couldn’t help but think about the one assignment that she had been given….have a conversation that’s not about work, not about anything with someone that she normally wouldn’t.

~

Of course, it was purely a coincidence that Harry had returned that same day and after napping and catching up with his family, including his new niece, he checked his phone eyes going wide as he saw that for once she had actually reached out to him. 

_ I saw pictures that suggest you might be back in London? _

She didn’t want to assume that the paparazzi would be right, and she wasn’t sure how he would feel about knowing she had been reading the gossip rags so her statement was unsure in tone. Still, a smile graced his face as he read the message and quickly responded back to her. 

_ As much as I wish I could have stayed in Africa longer, there was something about London just calling my name.  _

For a moment, he almost added a wink before quickly thinking better of it and backspacing before he hit send. He also thought about asking why she was wondering before he decided to let her respond again. His restraint was rewarded when his phone dinged just a minute later. 

_ Is that tour offer still on the table?  _

She’d been waiting over an hour or so for his reply after texting him and the entire time she fought with herself on what to say if and when he finally did respond. Should she ask him for coffee? She didn’t drink it, nor did she know if he did so that might be a little awkward. She wasn’t one for alcohol either so drinks were out and the last thing she wanted him to know was that she was a picky eater. One part of her brain was questioning why she cared what he thought of her, sure he was a prince but he was the one that had insisted they exchange numbers and he was the one that kept messaging her the entire summer. Just as his message actually came through she settled on asking about the tour, her gut telling her that it was the safest of all options. 

_ No reason it wouldn’t be. When’s good for you?  _

For some reason, he knew that she wouldn’t be the one to set up a time so while he worried that it would cause her to act skittish, it would only get done if he put it out there. 

_ Um...I was going to get some groceries in the morning but after that I’m free. I’m between clients at the moment.  _

Harry was fairly sure that this was more than he’d gotten out of her to date and he considered that major progress. Her comment about clients threw him off but after a moment, he remembered people talking about having hired her to research their family history. 

_ Works for me. I have a day or two to myself before I have to get back to work. 1 o’clock? _

As she read his reply, her social anxiety was already kicking in. She honestly hadn’t expected him to agree but now that he had she felt stuck. ‘Relax, it’s just a tour of one of the most gorgeous and historical buildings in the country. Yes, it’s Prince Harry but it’s not that big of a deal.’ While the words weren’t uttered aloud, she was certainly having a mental fight with herself, trying to calm down. 

When she didn’t respond, Harry was sure that she was going to back out, run away again like she had every time he’d encountered her in the past. ‘There’s a reason she acts the way she does. Just be patient and maybe she’ll let you in. After all, you wouldn’t be trying this hard for no reason.’ 

_ Okay… _

While the message was short it had taken a lot for Christina to actually press send. 

_ Great. I’ll meet you out front.  _

He didn’t expect her to reply and he quietly tossed his phone onto the nightstand beside his bed before moving to his ensuite to shower. Tomorrow was going to be interesting, that was for certain. 

‘I can’t do this. Why did I say yes.’ Already Christina was finding it hard to breathe and her mind was racing at every horrible thing that could happen the next day. After moving to brush her teeth and splash some water on her face, Christina flipped on her tv and pulled up the recording of a Long Lost Family that she hadn’t seen before hoping that it would both distract her and help lull her to sleep. 


	6. Chapter 5 - Part 1

The next morning, the sun was shining brightly, something that Christina had learned wasn’t as frequent of an occurrence as she would like. She decided to take it as a good omen for the day and upon crawling out of bed, moved to eat a bowl of cereal before heading to shower. She was supposed to go on her tour of Kensington at 1pm and though it was barely 10am she was already feeling her anxiety take hold.

What was she supposed to wear to something like this? Did she go business formal with slacks and a blouse or did she go more casual with jeans and a t-shirt? Knowing that if she debated over this she was going to lose her mind, Christina simply decided to just text Harry and ask.

_Jeans and a shirt are fine. Don’t stress._

While his response back took nearly an hour to arrive the moment she saw it, Christina was able to take a deep breath and return to her closet picking out a pair of dark jeans and a crimson top before grabbing a pair of sneakers and pulling her hair back with a clip. Looking at the clock she knew that she had about an hour before she had to leave to meet him and so she grabbed a book from her shelf and started to read, needing to take her mind off of today before she decided to just crawl back in bed and cancel.

When it was time to leave, Christina grabbed her things, hailed a taxi and headed to Kensington immediately overwhelmed by the amount of tourists exiting the building. Frowning, Christina paid her fare as she climbed out wondering what was going on and if something was wrong. As she stood on the sidewalk she heard people mumbling about how the palace had closed early for a private event and immediately her heart started to race. Had he really shut down the entire palace just to give her a tour?

It was 1:05 before she finally braved her way against the current of people leaving and made her way to the front doors. There were gentlemen on the steps apologizing to people and one of them stopped her to inform her that the palace was currently closed for visitors. Before she could say anything he turned before clearing his throat and quickly correcting himself. “I’m sorry Miss. I’ve been informed that you are free to head inside through that door there.” He pointed to one that was somewhat off to the side and Christina quickly wiped her hands on her jeans before nodding.

It wasn’t until the entrance was quiet sans employees that Harry appeared smiling at her though he wasn’t sure what the proper greeting between them was. It had been months since they had last run into each other and Christina still wasn’t sure what Harry’s motives for all of this were.

“Is there anywhere you want to head first?” He asked her softly not looking to startle her. “I figured I’d give you all my tidbits about the public half before I take you and show you as much as I can of the other half without disturbing my family too much.” After all that was where many of the royals lived including himself and so even being led by a prince there were places inappropriate to visit.

“I’ve always been a fan of the Queen’s Quarters.” That was where she had spent most of her time during her initial visit to the palace. With a nod of approval, Harry led her through that exhibit as well as the others before guiding her down a hallway that eventually led to the private half of the palace. Harry waved at the guards as he guided her through before allowing her to pause and look around. As they walked through that half of the grounds, Harry explained who lived where before showing her a few of the empty apartments and then guiding her out to the garden and road. Across the street was Nottingham Cottage, where she knew Harry’s brother and sister in law had lived before their move to the larger apartments they’d walked past.

“This is currently my home.” He informed her, twisting the lock on the door when they approached. “If nothing else come in for a glass of water?” They had been walking around for a few hours so Christina nodded willing to give him that though it was certainly weird stepping into what was his home. It was certainly more modern than most of what she’d seen though she knew she shouldn’t be too shocked considering its previous residents.

Sitting on the couch, Christina watched as Harry poured them both a glass of water from a pitcher in the fridge before handing it to her and sitting in the chair across from her. “Thank you.” She murmured, though her soft tone implied that she was grateful for more than the water. She still wasn’t sure why he had offered to do this but she certainly did appreciate it. She always loved history and being able to get not only what was printed in textbooks but the oral history as well was something that she would never tire of. As she sipped at her water, Harry stared at her for a long moment. He still couldn’t read her but there was just something about her that stopped him from letting her push him away.

“This may be forward but stay for dinner?” He suggested sure that she was going to turn him down. For a moment she was sure that she was going to as well but something in her made her pause. He wasn’t asking for much after all and after today she felt she owed him by appeasing his request.

“Alright. What were you planning on having?” The moment she agreed, immediately her food aversions came to mind and she nearly dropped her glass of water as that overwhelmed feeling kicked in again. Sensing that he could completely lose her for the night if he didn’t choose his words carefully, Harry stood up and moved back to the kitchen.

“Well, I know that I have ingredients to make up a simple pasta dish. There’s also steaks in my freezer. If you’d like something else though I can always have something brought over.” With bated breath he waited for her response, peeking around the corner from the kitchen to where the petite brunette was seated.

“Pasta would be fine.” She insisted. It was probably the safest route because if nothing else she could eat it with a little bit of butter and salt. While she generally liked tomato sauces as well, she only used enough to keep the pasta from sticking and to provide a little bit of flavor. “Is there anything I can do to help?” She offered certainly not expecting to sit around while his royal highness did all of the work. Still, Harry nodded at her and assured her that he could handle it, and after a moment she heard him filling a pot with water before he returned to sit with her while they waited for it to boil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this isn't the best ending place but I am currently falling asleep and I wanted to get something out before I did. Hopefully I'll have the muse when I wake up to keep going and have the second part out soon.


End file.
